These are the thoughts and observations of me — a woman of a certain age. (Oh, my, God, I'm 60!) I'm single. I'm successful enough (independent, self supporting). I live in the burbs and work in the city (Chicago, the best city in the world). I'm an aunt, a friend and a colleague. I feel that voices like mine are rather underrepresented online or in print. So here I am. If my musings resonate with you, please visit my blog again sometime.

Sunday, May 07, 2017

1) What was your dream growing up? Oh, it changed often, as it does with most kids. When I was in high school, I wanted to be a columnist for one of the big news weeklies, Time or Newsweek or US News and World Report.2) What talent do you wish you had? How I wish I could sing. 3) If I bought you a drink what would it be? Vodka/cran.4) What was the last book you read?

5) Worst Habit? I'm a slob.6) If you saw me walking down the street would you offer me a ride? No, because I don't own a car.7) What is your favorite sport? As Roy Hobbs said in The Natural, "God, I love baseball."8) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator with me? If I was stuck in an elevator with Bud, I'm sure we'd laugh a great deal.9) Worst thing to ever happen to you? I wasted a decade of my life in a bad relationship.10) Tell me one weird fact about you. I can wiggle my right ear, but not my left ear.11) What if I showed up at your house unexpectedly? I'd be pissed. I hate unexpected company.12) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? I'd get my waist back.13) Would you be my crime partner or my conscience? Depends on the crime at hand.14) Ever been arrested? Nope.15) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? Finish my bathroom. Put the balance in my retirement fund.16) Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Fart around on the Internet while watching TV. 17) Biggest pet peeve? Her. She didn't pay for two seats, so why is she taking up two seats?

Boo!

18) In one word, how would you describe yourself? Independent.19) Do you believe in/appreciate romance? Theoretically.

The Cubs winning the World Series has changed my outlook. I used to be able to watch, even enjoy, sloppy games because I didn't see them as sloppy. I viewed them as an opportunity to watch my guys on a field of green, playing America's past time.

Saturday night's game against the Yankees was just a mess. Poorly pitched, badly fielded. (My God! KRIS BRYANT made an error!) It was such a bad game that Joe had our catcher, Miguel Montero, on the mound for the close so he didn't waste any more arms on a losing effort.

That last tidbit about Montero I read this morning. I couldn't watch to the end. When I wanted to reach for a drink to dull the agony, I reached for the remote.

Our little lunch lasted more than three hours. In retrospect, I'm sorry we kept the booth so long. But we had so much to catch up on! And he seemed to be enjoying himself.

He's an avid student of history who began reading about Andrew Jackson last fall and was shocked by how mercurial and violent Old Hickory was. So I knew he'd have a lot to say about our current POTUS (1) admiring Jackson for his "big heart" and (2) thinking that Jackson could have had any impact whatsoever on the Civil War. My nephew is a teenaged boy, so of course he thinks Trump is jerk. (My adolescent years are in my rearview mirror and I thought this news story made Trump look ridiculous, too.)

We talked about his family vacation to Nassau, his cousin's unplanned pregnancy, how much he loves talking to his history teacher between classes and after school, and we lightly touched on the end of his romance with Anna, who has been in his life since pre-school. I would have liked to hear a little more about that -- breaking up in a small town when you have to see your ex at every turn -- but he wanted to go back to politics. How did I feel about calls for Stephen Colbert's ouster? What about the new GOP healthcare plan?

He's so smart. He's so geeky. Those are not two qualities that endear boys to their high school classmates. But he seems happy, at least when he's with me and he can get his geek on with impunity. I just hope he's as happy when he's not with his old auntie.